World Rugby is offering $10 billion dollars to national unions as they try to get the new Nations Championship plans across the line.

The games powerbrokers have met in Dublin with World Rugby tweaking their initial proposal, removing a semi‑final meaning most teams would play just 11 matches.

The Nations Championship, which would start from 2022, would involve 2 conferences based on the Six Nations and Rugby Championship with the two top teams meeting in the final.

They still want promotion‑relegation although the Six Nations remains a major stumbling block.

World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper says they have an almost 10 billion dollar offer to back the proposal.

There were concerns about player welfare from the long format of the competition.

Officials from national rugby unions, competition owners and international player representatives attended the meeting in Dublin.

Radio New Zealand reports World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont saying the proposed Nations Championship could be supported by a partnership with Swiss‑based sports marketing firm Infront, guaranteeing nearly 10 billion dollars over an initial 12‑year period.

According to World Rugby's outline, the event will start in 2022 and run twice every four years, excluding those when World Cups or British and Irish Lions tours take place.

[Source: Radio NZ]

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